Josh Pate sees Gunner Stockton winning Kirby Smart's heart and starting QB job in Georgia

With Carson Beck having changed Georgia for Miami, the undisputed frontrunner for the position is Gunner Stockton, who suited up in the postseason when Beck went down with an injury in the SEC championship game. Owing to his immediate impact, coach Kirby Smart could well choose him to be the Bulldogs' starting quarterback.

Stockton successfully led Georgia to a victory over the Texas Longhorns at the SEC championship but failed to rally them against Notre Dame during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

Josh Pate is willing to bet that Stockton will be the next starting signal-caller for the Bulldogs. The pundit had this to say about him on Thursday's edition of "Josh Pate's College Football Show" :

"So yes, if I had to guess, I'd probably say Gunner Stockton is the guy Kirby Smart is going to roll with. I don't think it's because Gunner Stockton is -fill in the blank- years old. I think he's the guy that gives them the best chance to win come fall." said Josh Pate (1:00)

Who is Gunner Stockton? What has he done at Georgia?

In the last two seasons, Gunner Stockton has thrown for 588 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. In 2023 he recorded 63 rushing yards, although in 2024 he had -13 yards. Overall, Stockton served as Carson Beck's backup, meaning he's mostly an unknown commodity.

Stockton enrolled at the University of Georgia in 2022 as a four-star recruit. He played at Rabun County High School in Tiger, Georgia. For the class of 2022, he was the seventh-best-ranked quarterback in the nation and the 11th-best overall player in Georgia. He redshirted in his first season in Athens.

He came to national attention in his sophomore redshirt year when he had to replace an injured Carson Beck halfway through the SEC championship game against Texas. Georgia was down 3-6 entering the second half. Stockton is credited with revitalizing the offense that day, eventually leading them to a 22-19 overtime victory.